Front-Load Drum Washing Machine Comprising an Illumination and/or Spraying Device in the Expansion Joint

ABSTRACT

A front-loading drum-type washing machine includes an appliance housing, a suds container, and a drum rotatably mounted in the suds container. A bellows seal extends around a loading opening between the housing and the suds container. An injection device penetrates a wall of the bellows seal above the loading opening. An illumination device penetrates the wall of the bellows seal above the loading opening side-by-side with the injection device. A bridging element bridges a distance between the illumination and injection devices.

CROSS REFERENCE TO PRIOR APPLICATION

This is a U.S. national phase application under 35 U.S.C. §371 of International Patent Application No. PCT/EP2005/007542, filed Jul. 12, 2005, and claims benefit of German Patent Application No. 10 2004 036 672.1, filed Jul. 28, 2004, which is incorporated by reference herein. The International Application was published in German on Feb. 9, 2006 as WO 2006/012978 A1 under PCT Article 21(2).

The present invention relates to a front-loading drum-type washing machine having a drum rotatably mounted within a suds container, a bellows seal extending around the loading opening thereof between the appliance housing and the suds container, and the wall of the bellows seal being penetrated by an injection device.

BACKGROUND

The prior art describes various types of embodiment. Document DE 197 31 667 A1, for example, describes a front-loading drum-type washing machine, in which the bellows seal is penetrated by an injection device above the porthole glass. Another variant is disclosed in DE 199 19 028 A1, where the drum-type washing machine described therein has an illumination device which is located above the porthole and is also integrated in the bellows. The individual devices fulfill the following tasks: The injection device removes foam retained in the lower region of the bellows and remaining suds. The illumination device improves the view into the washing drum, especially when removing laundry items from the drum. Both the illumination device and the injection device can also be distributed over the circumference of the bellows, so that light and water are introduced via two different, spaced apart devices in the interior of the laundry chamber.

This way of arranging the devices is considered to have the disadvantage of causing considerable vibrational stress in the door sealing ring, resulting in contact interruptions, especially in the illumination device, and there, in the wiring of the illumination device. This is because the individual devices disposed in the bellows seal have different resonant frequencies due to their different masses.

SUMMARY

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a drum-type washing machine having reduced vibration problems occurring in the bellows seal with respect to devices enclosed therein.

The present invention provides a front-loading drum-type washing machine. The washing machine includes:

an appliance housing;

a suds container;

a drum rotatably disposed in the suds container;

a bellows seal extending around a loading opening between the housing and the suds container;

an injection device penetrating a wall of the bellows seal above the loading opening;

an illumination device penetrating the wall of the bellows seal above the loading opening side-by-side with the injection device; and

a bridging element bridging a distance between the illumination and injection devices.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are shown in the drawings in a schematic way and will be described in more detail below. In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a portion of a bellows seal in the region where the illumination device and the water inlet for an injection device are incorporated;

FIG. 2 is an isolated view of the illumination device and the injection device in accordance with FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view of another embodiment, showing the injection device and the illumination device in an isolated view;

FIG. 4 is a view showing another embodiment of an illumination device and an injection device in an integrated design;

FIG. 5 is another view according to FIG. 4, showing the light-emitting means and the nozzle incorporated in a portion of the bellows seal illustrated in a partially cross-sectional fashion;

FIG. 6 is a view showing another embodiment of an illumination device and an injection device; and

FIG. 7 is a sketch of a washing machine.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention involves an illumination device which is in connection with the water inlet in such a close proximity that the vibratory motion produced by the motion of the washing drum is damped to an extent that prevents damage. Damage may occur to the door sealing ring and to the wiring. Noises may also occur. The water hose run to this system serves as a damping element.

Advantages that can be achieved with the present invention include, in particular, that vibration problems are reduced to a minimum, thereby also preventing the occurrence of contact faults, especially in the illumination device. To this end, the present invention proposes that the illumination device and the injection device be disposed at a small distance from each other closely side-by-side in the wall of the bellows seal above the loading opening. This suppresses the vibration problems.

It is also proposed that the distance between the illumination and injection devices be bridged by a stiffening element. This provides stiffening between the elements, so that the vibration is damped by the injection device and its water inlet, which represents a larger mass. In accordance with another advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the illumination and injection devices are directly connected to each other. In the integrated design, this additionally provides an improvement in the installation of the illumination and water inlet. At the same time, an anti-rotation means is provided having a positioning function, which ensures reliable assembly. The features are especially important when the door sealing ring is no longer located at an angle of 90° to the illumination/water inlet, but extends at a slant with respect thereto.

In the integrated embodiment, in accordance with a first embodiment, the housings receiving the illumination and injection devices, respectively, can be directly connected by a crosspiece. In another embodiment, the housings receiving the illumination and injection devices form one unit. In this case, the component receiving the two devices may be formed by a molded housing part. In a refinement of the present invention, the housing and/or the molded part may be provided with an anti-rotation means, which, in particular, facilitates the assembly of the device housing.

FIG. 7 shows a front-loading drum-type washing machine 16 having a housing 19 and a suds container 17 disposed in housing 19. A drum 18 is rotatably mounted within suds container 18. A bellows seal 1 extends around loading opening 8 between front appliance housing 19 and suds container 17. When washing machine 16 is in its normal position, an injection device 2 and an illumination device 3 are disposed in the upper region in the wall of bellows seal 1.

The partially cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 shows a bellows seal 1, which is incorporated in a drum-type washing machine, especially to seal the suds container with respect to the appliance housing. Bellows seal 1 as such extends around the loading opening.

Located in bellows seal 1 are an illumination device 2 and an injection device 3, FIG. 1 showing only the parts designed as housings 4 and 5 for accommodating the illumination and injection devices 2 and 3. Hose 6 for the water inlet is connected to housing 5, in which is inserted the injection device 3.

As can be seen from FIG. 1, illumination device 2 and injection device 3 are disposed at a small distance from each other closely side-by-side in wall 7 of bellows seal 1, in particular above the indicated loading opening 8. It can be seen from FIG. 1 that a stiffening element 9 is located between illumination device 2 and injection device 3, thus providing stiffening between the two devices 2, 3. In particular, because a so-called supporting function is performed by water inlet hose 6, strong damping is achieved for devices 2, 3, so that, in particular, the wiring necessary for illumination device 2 can no longer be detrimentally affected.

An isolated view of the two device housings 4 and 5 is also shown in FIG. 2, with bellows seal 1 omitted.

Another embodiment of the present invention is shown in particular in FIG. 3, where illumination and injection devices 2, 3 are directly connected to each other. Here, it is proposed that the housings 4, 5 receiving illumination and injection devices 2, 3, respectively, be connected by a crosspiece 10. FIG. 6 illustrates a variant in which a separate component serving as a cover 16 for illumination device 2 is used in place of an integrally formed crosspiece. Cover 16 is latched to illumination device 2 and has formed thereon a holder 17 which has a cutout with which the cover is slipped onto water inlet hose 6.

FIG. 4 shows another view of the present invention, where housings 4 and 5 receiving illumination device 2 and injection device 3 form one unit. Here, housings 4, 5 are formed as a single molded part 11. The manner in which the single-unit, molded part 11 is incorporated in bellows seal 1 can be seen in FIG. 5, which also illustrates how an anti-rotation means 12 is incorporated in bellows seal 1. Now it becomes clear, for example, how the unit is inserted into bellows seal 1. In the process, housing 4, 5, which is in the form of a molded part 11, is inserted into the inside diameter of the opening in bellows seal 1, anti-rotation element 12 penetrating a separate region 13 formed in bellows seal 1. This allows for easy assembly. Finally, light-emitting means 14 has to be inserted into housing 4 and water inlet house 6 is slipped onto tube end 15. 

1-7. (canceled) 8: A front-loading drum-type washing machine comprising an appliance housing; a suds container; a drum rotatably disposed in the suds container; a bellows seal extending around a loading opening between the housing and the suds container, an injection device penetrating a wall of the bellows seal above the loading opening; an illumination device penetrating the wall of the bellows seal above the loading opening side-by-side with the injection device; and a bridging element bridging a distance between the illumination and injection devices. 9: The drum-type washing machine as recited in claim 8 wherein the bridging element includes a stiffening element. 10: The drum-type washing machine as recited in claim 8 wherein the bridging element includes a crosspiece. 11: The drum-type washing machine as recited in claim 8 wherein the illumination device is received in a first housing and the injection device is received in a second housing, the first and second housings being connected to each other by a crosspiece. 12: The drum-type washing machine as recited in claim 11 wherein the first and second housings from one unit. 13: The drum-type washing machine as recited in claim 12 wherein the unit is a single molded part. 14: The drum-type washing machine as recited in claim 12 wherein the unit includes an anti-rotation device. 15: The drum-type washing machine as recited in claim 12 wherein the single molded part includes an anti-rotation device. 16: The drum-type washing machine as recited in claim 8 wherein the injection and illumination devices are disposed closely side-by-side with each other in the wall of the bellows seal. 